Abstract
Background
Most existing reviews focus on evidence for the association between neck and/or shoulder complaints and physical exposures at the workplace gathered from cross-sectional studies. In comparison, this review summarizes existing evidence from longitudinal studies only.
Methods
A systematic literature research was conducted in Medline and EMBASE (1975–2009), and all studies were scanned by at least two researchers according to strict inclusion criteria. Levels of evidence were assigned according to the number of studies reporting similar findings, and according to the methodological quality of the included studies.
Results
Altogether 21 longitudinal studies (19 high-quality studies) met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. In comparison with former reviews, we found strong evidence for an association between shoulder complaints and manual material handling (MMH) (range between Odds Ratio (OR) 1.4 and 4.9), vibration (range between OR 1.6 and OR 2.5), trunk flexion or rotation (range between OR 1.8 and OR 5.1), and working with hands above shoulder level (range between OR 1.1 and OR 1.8). Apart from that, the included studies confirmed existing knowledge on the association between physical exposures at the workplace and neck and/or shoulder complaints.
Conclusions
This analysis of longitudinal studies allowed for new evidence with regard to four cause-effect chains between physical exposures at work and the development of shoulder, neck and neck/shoulder complaints. As outcome variables varied greatly among the included studies, harmonization in studies on musculoskeletal research is desirable.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Altmann DG (2001) Systematic reviews of evaluations of prognostic variables. BMJ 323:224–228
Andersen JH, Kaergaard A, Mikkelsen S, Jensen UF, Frost P, Bonde JP, Falletin N, Thomsen JF (2003) Risk factors in the onset of neck/shoulder pain in a prospective study of workers in industrial and service companies. Occup Environ Med 60:649–654
Andersen JH, Haahr JP, Frost P (2007) Risk factors for more severe regional musculoskeletal symptoms: a two-year prospective study of a general working population. Arthritis Rheum 56:1355–1364
Ariëns GAM, van Mechelen W, Bonger PM, Bouter LM, van der Wal G (2000) Physical risk factors for neck pain. Scand J Work Environ Health 26:7–19
Ariëns GAM, Bongers PM, Douwes M, Miedema MC, Hoogendoorn WE, van der Wal G, Bouter LM, van Mechelen W (2001) Are neck flexion, neck rotation, and sitting at work risk factors for neck pain? Results of a prospective cohort study. Occup Environ Med 58:200–207
Ariëns GAM, Bongers PM, Hoogendoorn WE, van der Wal G, van Mechelen W (2002) High physical and psychosocial load at work and sickness absence due to neck pain. Scand J Work Environ Health 28:222–231
Bernard BP (ed) (1997) Musculoskeletal disorders and workplace factors—a critical review of epidemiologic evidence for work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, upper extremity, and low back. US Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Bigos SJ, Bowyer O, Braen G, Brown K, Deyo R, Haldeman S, Hart JL, Johnson EW, Keller R, Kido D, Liang MH, Nelson RM, Nordin M, Owen BD, Pope MH, Schwartz RK, Stewart DH, Susman J, Triano JJ, Tripp LC, Turk DC, Watts C, Weinstein JN (1994) Acute low back problems in adults. Clinical practice guideline No. 14. AHCPR publication No. 95-0642
Bongers PM, de Winter CR, Kompier MAJ, Hildebrandt VH (1993) Psychosocial factors at work and musculoskeletal disease. Scand J Work Environ Health 19:297–312
Cassou B, Derriennic F, Monfort C, Norton J, Touranchet A (2002) Chronic neck and shoulder pain, age, and working conditions: longitudinal results from a large random sample in France. Occup Environ Med 59:537–544
Feveile H, Jensen C, Burr H (2002) Risk factors for neck-shoulder and wrist-hand symptoms in a 5-year follow-up study of 3, 990 employees in Denmark. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 75:243–251
Gelman A, Stern H (2006) The difference between “significant” and “not significant” is not itself statistically significant. Am Stat 60:328–331
Gerr F, Letz R, Landrigan PJ (1991) Upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders of occupational origin. Annu Rev Public Health 12:543–566
Grooten WJA, Wiktorin C, Norrman L, Josephson M, Tornqvist EW, Alfredsson L (2004) Seeking care for neck/shoulder pain: a prospective study of work-related risk factors in a healthy population. J Occup Environ Med 46:138–146
Grooten WJA, Mulder M, Josephson M, Alfredsson L, Wiktorin C (2007) The influence of work-related exposures on the prognosis of neck/shoulder pain. Eur Spine J 16:2083–2091
Hagberg M, Wegman DH (1987) Prevalence rates and odds ratios for shoulder-neck diseases in different occupational groups. Occup Environ Med 44:602–610
Harkness EF, Macfarlane GJ, Nahit ES, Silman AJ, McBeth J (2003) Mechanical and psychosocial factors predict new onset shoulder pain: a prospective cohort study of newly employed workers. Occup Environ Med 60:850–857
Harrington JM, Hancock J, Gompertz D, Spurgeon A (1996) Work related upper limb pain syndromes—origins and management. Report on a research priorities workshop hosted by the Institute of Occupational Health, University of Birmingham. http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/misc/harrington.pdf
Hill J, Lewis M, Papageorgiou AC, Dziedzic K, Croft P (2004) Predicting persistent neck pain. Spine 29:1648–1654
Hoogendoorn WE, van Poppel MNM, Bongers PM, Koes BW, Bouter LM (2000) Systematic review of psychosocial factors at work and private life as risk factors for back pain. Spine 25:2114–2125
Hoozemans MJM, van der Beek AJ, Frings-Dresen MHW, van der Woude LHV, van Dijk FJH (2002) Low-back and shoulder complaints among workers with pushing and pulling tasks. Scand J Work Environ Health 28:293–303
Johannson K, Hagberg M (1990) Risk identification of vibration related hand symptoms—validation of questionnaire (in Swedish with English summary). Arbete Och Hälsa 13:1–46
Juul-Kristensen B, Jensen C (2005) Self-reported workplace related ergonomic conditions as prognostic factors for musculoskeletal symptoms: the “BIT” follow up study on office workers. Occup Environ Med 62:188–194
Kihlberg S, Hagberg M (1997) Hand arm-symptoms related to impact and non-impact-held power tools. Int Arch Environ Health 69:282–288
Kuijpers T, van der Windt DAWM, van der Heijden GJMG, Bouter LM (2004) Systematic review of prognostic studies on shoulder disorders. Pain 109:420–431
Kujipers T, van der Windt DAWM, van der Heijden GJMG, Twisk JWR, Vergouwe Y, Bouter LM (2006) A prediction rule for shoulder pain related sick leave: a prospective cohort study. BMC Muskulosklet Disord 7:97
Leclerc A, Chastang JF, Niedhammer I, Landre MF, Roquelaure Y (2004) Incidence of shoulder pain in repetitive work. Occup Environ Med 61:39–44
Linton SJ (2000) A review of psychological risk factors in back and neck pain. Spine 25:1148–1156
Linton SJ, Hellsing AL, Halldén K (1998) A population-based study of spinal pain among 35–45 year old individuals. Spine 23:1457–1463
Luime JJ, Kuiper JI, Koes BW, Verhaar JAN, Miedema HS, Burdorf A (2004) Work-related risk factors for the incidence and recurrence of shoulder and neck complaints among nursing-home and elderly-care workers. Scand J Work Environ Health 30:279–286
Mattioli S, Zanardi F, Baldasseroni A, Schaafsma F, Cooke RMT, Mancini G, Fierro M, Santangelo C, Farioli A, Fucksia S, Curti S, Violante FS, Verbeek J (2010) Search strings for study of putative occupational determinants of disease. Occup Environ Med 67:436–443
Miranda H, Viikari-Junctura E, Martikainen R, Takala EP, Riihimäki H (2001) A prospective study of work-related factors and physical exercise as predictors of shoulder pain. Occup Environ Med 58:528–534
Miranda H, Punnett L, Viikari-Junctura E, Heliövaara M, Knekt P (2008) Physical work and chronic shoulder disorder. Results of a prospective population-based study. Ann Rheum Dis 67:218–223
Palmer KT, Smedley J (2007) Work relatedness of chronic neck shoulder pain with physical findings—a systematic review. Scand J Work Environ Health 33:165–191
Seidler A, Bolm-Audorff U, Petereit-Haack G, Ball E, Klupp M, Krauss N, Elsner G (2011) Work-related lesions of the supraspinatus tendon: a case-control study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 84:425–433
Smith CK, Silverstein BA, Fan ZJ, Bao S, Johnson PW (2009) Psychosocial factors and shoulder symptom development among workers. Am J Ind Med 52:57–68
Svendsen SW, Gelineck J, Mathiassen SE, Bonde JP, Frich LH, Stengaard-Pedersen K, Egund N (2004) Work above shoulder level and degenerative alterations of the rotator cuff tendons. Arthritis Rheumatism 50:3314–3322
Van der Heijden GJ (1999) Shoulder disorders: a state-of-the-art review. Baillieres Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 13:287–309
Van der Windt DAWM, Thomas E, Pope DP, de Winter AF, Macfarlane GJ, Bouter LM, Silman AJ (2000) Occupational risk factors for shoulder pain: a systematic review. Occup Environ Med 57:433–442
Van Rijn RM, Huisstede BMA, Koes BW, Burdorf A (2010) Associations between work-related factors and specific disorders of the shoulder—a systematic review of literature. Scand J Work Environ Health 36:189–201
Viikari-Junctura E, Riihimäki H, Tola S, Videman T, Mutanen P (1994) Neck trouble in machine operating, dynamic physical work and sedentary work: a prospective study on occupational and individual risk factors. J Clin Epidemiol 47:1411–1422
Viikari-Junctura E, Martikainen R, Luukkonen R, Mutanen P, Takala EP, Riihimäki H (2001) Longitudinal study on work related and individual risk factors affecting radiating neck pain. Occup Environ Med 58:345–352
Wahlström J, Burström L, Hagberg M, Lundström R, Nilsson T (2008) Musculoskeletal symptoms among male workers and associations with exposure to hand arm-vibration and ergonomic stressors. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 81:595–602
Walker-Bone K, Cooper C (2005) Hard work never hurt anyone: or did it?: a review of occuoational associations with soft tissue musculoskeletal disorders of the neck and upper limb. Ann Rheum Dis 64:1391–1396
Wallace M, Buckle P (1987) Ergonomic aspects of neck and upper limb pain. Int Rev Ergonomics 1:173–200
Winkel J, Mathiassen SE (1994) Assessment of physical work load in epidemiologic studies: concepts, issues and operational considerations. Ergonomics 37:979–988
Winkel J, Westgaard R (1992) Occupational and individual risk factors for shoulder neck complaints: part II the scientific basis (literature review) for guide. Int J Ind Ergon 10:85–104
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix of methodological assessment
Appendix of methodological assessment
- A:
-
Positive if age, gender, and profession were clearly defined.
- B:
-
Positive if either inclusion or exclusion criteria for the baseline population were presented.
- C:
-
Positive if the total number of participants was ≥60% on the last point of follow-up compared with the number of participants at baseline.
- D:
-
Positive if demographic/clinical information information (patient/disease characteristics such as age, sex and other potential prognostic predictors) was presented for those lost to follow-up/drop-outs.
- E:
-
Positive if the follow-up period was at least 3 months.
- F:
-
Positive if clinical diagnosis (e. g., rotator cuff syndrome) was assessed.
- G:
-
Positive if standardized questionnaires at baseline and at follow-up were applied for outcome measurement.
- H:
-
Positive if objective outcome measurements were applied (clinical examination, clinical tests, X-ray).
- I:
-
Positive if standardized questionnaires at baseline and at follow-up were applied for psychosocial risk factors.
- J:
-
Positive if standardized questionnaires at baseline and follow-up were applied for physical risk factors.
- K:
-
Positive if objective assessment of physical exposure was conducted (video analysis, weight definition).
- L:
-
Positive if the data presentation fit to the stated method.
- M:
-
Positive if univariate/multivariate models were presented in terms of relative risks, rate ratios, odds ratios or hazard ratios.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mayer, J., Kraus, T. & Ochsmann, E. Longitudinal evidence for the association between work-related physical exposures and neck and/or shoulder complaints: a systematic review. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 85, 587–603 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0701-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0701-0